2 for 1 recipe: BBQ Quesadillas and BBQ Pulled Pork

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork


Ingredients:
3lb boneless pork shoulder
1tsp Caribbean jerk seasoning dry
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 liter of Coca Cola
1 bottle of BBQ sauce, I prefer Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce


Directions:
Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Rub jerk seasoning over pork then place in crockpot. Sprinkle with onion and pour Coca Cola over pork. The acid in the Coke helps tenderize the meat. Cover; cook on low heat setting 8-10hrs. Remove pork from slow cooker; and if desired reserve 1/2 c. juices to add to BBQ sauce later. Use 2 forks to pull pork into shred. Place pork back in slow cooker and stir in BBQ sauce and reserved juices. Increase heat settings to high, cover and cook 30-45min or until thoroughly heated.


BBQ Quesadillas


Ingredients:
4 flour tortillas

1 c. shredded extra sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 4oz can diced green chilies, drained

BBQ pork from above recipe

1 c. bottled salsa

¼ c. sour cream

¼ c. sliced green onion

Directions:

Coat one side of each tortilla with cooking spray. Place, coated sides down, on cutting board or waxed paper. Sprinkle ¼ c. of the cheese over half of each tortilla. Top with green chilies and BBQ pulled pork. Fold tortillas in half, pressing gently. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a hot 10in skillet cook quesadillas, two at a time, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Place quesadillas on a baking sheet. Keep warm in preheated oven for up to 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and green onion.

Moroccan Chili 10,000 Grains of Sand

So I pride myself in being completely original when it comes to cooking. I hardly ever follow a recipe to the T...and usually modify it enough for it to be my own...but one day I was watching Rachel Ray on TV and she made this dish. I honestly couldn't find any way to modify it so it would taste better. Prep time is suppose to take approximately 30min...but the first time I made this I chose to do it Crockpot style. Which worked well, but the peppers and onions ended up being a little too soft. So when I make this dish now, I do it in a deep frying pan. Also I have made this with sausage or lean ground beef and it tasted just fine. But I personally think ground lamb was the best.

Ingredients

2Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2lb ground lamb

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2Tbsp chili powder

½ Tbsp ground cumin

1Tbsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp paprika

1 bay leaf

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce

2Tbsp butter

1 ½ c. chicken stock

A handful golden raisins

4 apricots, chopped

1 ½ c. couscous

3 to 4Tbsp toasted pine nuts

A handful fresh parsley leaves, chopped

A handful fresh mint leaves, chopped

3Tbsp finely chopped chives

8 pita breads, cut into wedges for scooping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Heat skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, add meat and brown. Season the meat with salt and pepper, to taste, chili powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and paprika. Add the bay leaf, onions, bell pepper and garlic to the pan. Cook until onions are soft, 8 minutes. Add lemon juice and zest, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. Stir and reduce heat to simmer.

3. Bring butter and stock to a boil in a pot with tight fitting lid. Add dried fruit and couscous stir then turn off heat and set lid in place. Let stand 5 minutes. Add nuts and herbs and toss with fork.

4. Toast pita wedges in hot oven or under broiler. Pile chili in bowls, top with "sand" and serve with pita wedges for scooping.

Peanut Chicken

This is a recipe I modified greatly. I saw the concept on TV and made it my own.

Ingredients:

3-4lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1c. peanut butter (I prefer to use the chunky peanut butter)

2/3c. low sodium soy sauce

2 1/2Tbsp sugar

1 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 of a 14oz can of chicken stock

2large or 4med size oranges

Directions:

Cut up chicken into small pieces and place in a deep frying pan or a large pot. Zest the oranges and then squeeze the juice into the pot making sure any seeds don't fall in. Then combine with all of the ingredients and cook on med heat until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Or to make in Crockpot; add a whole 14oz can of chicken stock and combine all ingredients. Cook on low setting for 6hrs or high setting for 3-4hrs. Serve with rice or noodles.

Yields: approximately 4-6servings.